City of Bloomington Awards 2022 Digital Equity Grants Funds to Eleven Area Nonprofits

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Information & Technology Services Department (ITS) announces the 2022 Digital Equity Grants awards to support Bloomington-based nonprofit organization efforts to bridge the digital divide and increase digital resources for residents. Now in its third year, this grant program began as part of Mayor John Hamilton’s Recover Forward initiative to help Bloomington recover from the pandemic and economic collapse, and advance racial, economic, and climate justice. Starting in 2022 these grants are funded from the ITS Department’s regular annual budget.

“Bridging the digital divide is an imperative toward greater equity in our community, “ 

said Mayor John Hamilton. “Partnering with these creative and effective nonprofits is an important step across that divide. We are happy to take that step together.” 

The Digital Equity Grants program awarded eleven area nonprofits a total of $50,000 in 2022, an increase from nine nonprofits in 2021. This year’s recipients, programs supported, and grant amounts follow:

• Alexandra’s Army, Internet Safety Training, $4,000
• Area 10 Agency on Aging, Creating Digital Literacy Opportunities and Tackling Social Isolation in the World of COVID, $6,000
• Artisan Alley, Wi-Fi Mill/Tech Education, $4,100
• Courage to Change Sober Living, Breaking Down Digital Divide Barriers for Those Suffering from Substance Use Disorders, $5,500
• Farmer House Museum/TechHeroes, Bloomington Stories, $4,000
• Hotels for Hope, Long Term Access to Technology and Skill Building for Those Experiencing Homelessness, $5,500
• Monroe County Public Library, Enhancing the Circulating iPad Collection at Monroe County Public Library, $3,800
• My Sister’s Closet, Providing 21st Century Life Skills Training with Up-to-Date Electronics, $5,700
• New Leaf New Life, Expanded Computer & Internet Access, $4,000
• Robin & Trisha’s House, Inc, Access to Skill Building Internet Services and Computing Devices for Individuals Currently Overcoming Homelessness, $3,300
• South Central Community Action Program, Digital Action Plan for Thriving Connections Families, $4,100

“In this third year of the City’s Digital Equity Grants initiative we’ve been gratified to see an increase in organizations applying for these grants,” said Information and Technology Services Director Rick Dietz. “Bloomington nonprofits are playing a key role in addressing the community challenges identified in the City’s Digital Equity Strategic Plan and we are grateful for their partnership in this important effort.”

Area 10 Agency on Aging Endwright Senior Centers will be creating digital literacy opportunities and providing technology assistance. Establishing digital support systems  is a major protective factor against loneliness and isolation. Offering one-on-one assistance and support to senior community members wanting to gain the knowledge and confidence to use their own or borrowed devices and safely browse the web is an important and needed resource. 

The Sunday Soup and Stories project will participate in learning how to capture and publish stories. As part of the seeding of the Bloomington Stories Project program, recipients will be trained in how to manage their digital content and publish the stories to their own site as well as to the Story Corp project.

Alexandra’s Army, an organization founded by an eight-year-old and driven by youth invested in ending local hunger, will apply their grant funds to an internet safety program. 

“Alexandra’s Army is honored to have been chosen as a 2022 Digital Equity Grants award winner,” said Alexandra Daley, President and Founder of Alexandra’s Army. “We are excited for the opportunity to provide local kids and their parents with an internet safety program. In this digital world, we need to make sure kids have the tools and training to safely use technology.”

The Digital Equity Grants program sought proposals from nonprofits for projects that build capacity in the community to address digital equity challenges, in the following ways:  

• Facilitate access to broadband services
• Increase access to computing devices to effectively use the internet
• Cultivate the knowledge, familiarity, and digital skills needed to secure the benefits of the internet and digital technology
• Mitigate community digital equity gaps identified in the City's digital equity survey, the results of which are available at https://bton.in/mE_-Q.

Hotels for Hope has been able to use digital equity funds to purchase computers and tablets to loan out to participants in hotel rooms, enabling them to access hotel wifi and apply for employment and services, tend to virtual health appointments, maintain contact with family, caseworkers, and support organizations, and otherwise conduct the basic online business of daily life. 

“The Digital Equity Grant has helped us provide invaluable resources to hundreds of clients that will continue to make a positive impact in our community for years to come and they are continuing to do it again this year!” said Katie Norris, Executive Director of Hotels for Hope. “We could never have helped so many people in such a fast-paced and continuous way without the help of a Digital Equity Grant!” 

More information is available at bloomington.in.gov/digital-equity.

About Recover Forward

Recover Forward is a multi-year initiative to help our community rebound and thrive as we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, moving toward greater racial, economic, and climate justice as we do so.

More than $15 million has been approved to date by the City Council for critical investments. Recover Forward Bloomington includes $9 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and $6 million from City reserve funds. Learn more at bloomington.in.gov/recoverforward  

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